Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall tags out the Cardinals’ José Fermín on a steal attempt during the sixth inning Saturday, June 13, 2026 at Target Field in MInneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Star Tribune staff | Minnesota Star Tribune

The afternoon was gorgeous and loud Saturday at Target Field, with an enthused crowd close to evenly split between the Cardinals and Twins and seven home runs crackling to left field in what became a 9-6 victory for the St. Louis visitors.

They also won the Home Run Derby with Jordan Walker’s 454-footer off the facing on the upper deck during the Cardinals’ five-run explosion in the seventh.

This game also included home runs in the fourth inning for Byron Buxton and resurgent Royce Lewis. Buxton’s blast off St. Louis starter Matthew Liberatore was No. 22 in a period of 46 games played, a feat accomplished a single time for the Twins by Nelson Cruz, Brian Dozier and Harmon Killebrew.

Before the game, Twins manager Derek Shelton was holding the daily meeting with the media. There was a quick mention of No. 1 prospect Kaelen Culpepper’s outstanding game on Friday night in the St. Paul Saints’ 10-9 victory in Toledo.

Culpepper went 3-for-4, including a triple, with three RBI. He also saved the game by throwing out a runner at the plate in the bottom of the ninth.

“I didn’t see much of that game, but I did see that throw he made,” Shelton said Saturday morning. “It was unbelievable.”

As shortstop Culpepper was starring in Toledo, second baseman Luke Keaschall, the Twins’ No. 2 draft choice in 2023, was going 0-for-3 and sliding to .241.

More importantly, Keaschall was replaced defensively at second base by veteran Orlando Arcia as the Twins were protecting a 9-8 lead in the ninth inning.

Around the Twins on Saturday, before the 1:10 p.m. start at Target Field, there was a vibe that Culpepper’s promotion might be close, and that Keaschall — with his fielding issues compounded by a cut-off swing path producing soft fly balls toward right field — could use a clean game in the field and some good swings.

And that happened. Keaschall went after ground balls aggressively, and he drilled a two-run, line drive homer down the left-field line to tie the score at 4-4 in the fifth inning. It was only Keaschall’s second home run of the season, his first coming April 6 against Detroit.

The crowd announced at 23,408 looked like half were in Cardinals jerseys and red T-shirts, and those visitors might have been nervous about blowing a lead, as was the case on Friday.

Then, the St. Louis fans got a look at the bottom part of the Twins bullpen in the seventh inning: three rocket home runs for the Redbirds, five runs total, and the Cardinals — among MLB’s youngest teams — were on the way to a victory.

Justin Lawrence, picked up after being dropped by Pittsburgh, came in to get a couple of outs in the seventh, and then it was bombs away:

Iván Herrera, second home run of the game, 403 feet to left. Ultra-strong Jordan Walker, that prodigious blast for No. 18. Two more singles followed, Travis Adams entered and Blaze Jordan, a new young slugger added to the lineup on this series, hit his first big-league homer, a three-run shot 418 feet to left.

Quite a seventh for the Cardinals — 1,275 feet of homers, five runs, and a very good chance that the Twins, with the American League’s worst bullpen ERA, soon will be bringing in their 25th individual pitcher (position players excluded) for the road trip that starts Monday night at Texas.

That series will be interrupted Wednesday by a World Cup game across the street and then conclude Thursday.

And perhaps in the nick of time, the talented Keaschall was again flashing his talents and will remain at second base. Then again, he did take strike three with the bases loaded and no outs in the ninth.

Keaschall was the starting second baseman for the 63rd time in 72 games. In an organization with a history of avoiding quick promotions for top prospects, Keaschall first reached the big leagues 21 months after being drafted in July 2023.

An early-season injury to Willi Castro, the versatile All-Star from 2024, started the Twins’ 2025 roster turmoil that led to Keaschall being called up from Class AAA St. Paul on April 18.

A week later, he was hit by a pitch from the Los Angeles Angels’ Kyle Hendricks and wound up with a broken forearm. Keaschall returned Aug. 5, less than a week after the Twins’ trade deadline blood-letting, and was a very impressive rookie: 42 games, .294 batting average, .359 on-base percentage, four homers, 11 doubles.

There was no drama as to the identity of the Twins second baseman when this spring training started in Fort Myers. It would be Keaschall, only 23, but perhaps the runner-up to Buxton as an athlete on this roster.

Clean up a few rough edges in the field and the Twins appeared set at second for a long while — perhaps until Keaschall arrived at the time for a hefty contract.

And now, less than halfway through his second season, those rough edges have become more obvious and might have turned into an unexpected roadblock for Keaschall.

There’s also been a problem with the line drives off Keaschall’s potent bat turning into easy fly balls to right. Yet, if speculation circulating on the media level of Target Field and Keaschall could be headed back to St. Paul for a tune-up, it will be mostly because of his fielding.

The level of concern there was obvious on Friday night, when the Twins had rallied to take a 9-8 lead into the ninth vs. St. Louis, and Arcia was sent in to play second base for Keaschall.

Shelton had been asked Friday about Keaschall’s so-far shortcomings in the field, and the manager called it a “continued work in progress.” The “continued” part of that is the issue, obviously.

“This is a kid that’s extremely athletic,” Shelton said. “He moves well, but there are areas for improvement and we just need to keep working. It’s not for lack of trying on his end or lack of work on our coaches’ end.

“There’s definitely room for growth. But I think the other side of this, we also need to remember, he’s 23 years old. He missed time last year, and we just need to keep identifying the places where we feel he can be better.”

Keaschall was asked before Saturday’s game if that move to Arcia had shaken him in any manner.

“I’m fine; it’s not going to change anything in my work,” Keaschall said. “We support each other. I’m just happy we won that game.”

Saturday, he wished to keep the line going in the ninth, which didn’t happen — but all around, an afternoon in which Keaschall showed his skills.